Variable-speed mechanism.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906..

C. F. L'AUR.

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION IILBD-JAN.5, 1906.

TIITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. LAUR, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LODGE 8:

SHIPLEY MACHINE TOOL COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A COR- PORATION.

VARiABLE-SPEED MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. LAUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Variable-Speed Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a variable-speed device which is primarily adapted to constitute a train of gearing between the leadscrew and spindle of an engine-lathe. It is, however, adapted for either speed or feed purposes.

The object of the invention and the various features of the invention will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which the figure shows a diametrical section representing the plan of gearing with reference to the various shafts of an engine-lathe.

1 represents, say, the spindle, on which is fixed the pinion 2.

3 4 5 6 represent a train of gears from pinion 2 on the spindle, transmitting motion to the gear 7 on shaft 8, which I will denominate a tumbler-shaf 9 represents a pinion adapted to turn with and slide on shaft 8. Pinion 9 meshes with the tumbler-gear 10, which rocks on shaft 8 of the spindle. I have not shown the tumbler or lever by which this slidin and rocking is accomplished, for it is a weil-understood device. It is sufficient to say that such a tumbler is employed by means of which the gear 10 may be brought selectively into mesh with the cone of gears 11 12 13 14 15, fixed on shaft 16, which latter shaft I will denominate the cone-shaft.

17 18 represent compound gears on the end of the shaft 16.

19 represents a stud carrying compound gears 20 21, gear 20 meshing with gear 18. 22 23 represent another compound gear on the stud-shaft 19, gear 23 meshing with gear 17. The gear 20 is always in mesh with the gear 18.

24 represents a ear adapted to turn with and slide on the s aft 25, which I will denominate the lead-screw.

The ears on the stud and said stud are rocked iy tumbler mechanism (not shown) on shaft 16 as a center, the gear 24 being slidable to position to be engaged by any one of the gears 20 21 22 23.

If it be assumed that gear 7 is fixed on its shaft and gears 17 and 18 on their shaft, it will be readily understood that through the selective operation of the cone and tumbler gears on shafts 8 and 16 five different speeds may be transmitted to the shaft 16 and that by rocking the stud 19 on shaft 16 as a center and by sliding the gear-wheel 24 on the shaft 25 the five different speeds of the shaft 16 may be multiplied by four, so as to give twenty ultimate speeds to the lead-screw. In fact, this plan so far described represents the conventional lathe as manufactured by The Lodge Sc Shipley Machine Tool Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio. In this plan, as described, it is obvious that the motion flows directly from shaft 8 to shaft 16, and as to the lead-screw 25 the values of the ultimate speeds being determinable from the ratios of the gearing when connected in the train, as just described. For a domestic lathe this arrangement is satisfactory; but in order to et the speed values demanded by a metric athe for foreign uses it is necessary that the driving relation of the cone and tumbler shafts be transposed, so that the motion flows from the spindle 1 directly down to the cone-shaft 16, then back to the tumbler-shaft 8, and thence down through transmittinggears to the lead-screw 25. that by this line of drive the ratio of the gearing is com letely inversed and that twenty speeds 0 different value are given to the lead-screw. It will of course be understood that the lathe structure supporting this plan of gearing is an expensive item, involving its casting and their relative arrangement and their accommodation for the various gears in various set positions and involving various slotted plates and indexes, which not only house the gearing, but which are variously slotted or otherwise constructed to permit of certain fixed lines of movement of the levers for controlling the positions of the gears. It is the prime object of my invention to provide means whereby the lathe structure containing the plan of gears, as above described, in which the tumbler-shaft drives the cone-shaft, may be retained intact and yet utilized to support a plan of gearing It is obvious shaft drives the tumbler, let it be assumed that the gear 7 is loose on shaft 8 and that it meshes with the gear 26, fixed to'the coneshaft 16. Thus it is obvious that the coneshaft 16 will drive the tumbler-shaft 8. On the outer end of this tumbler-shaft 8 is a gear 27, which, assume, is fixed to the shaft 8, and

' which gear 27 meshes'into the gear 18, and

assume that the gears 17 18 are loose on the cone-shaft 16. It is obvious that motion flows from the spindle through gear-wheels 7, loose on shaft 8, to gear-wheel 26, fast on shaft 16, thence, say, through gears 11 .10 9,

the latter beinifixed on shaft 8, to said shaft,

thence throug gear 27, fixed on shaft 8, to compound gears 17 18, loose on shaft 16, and thence through a selected gear of the group 20 21 22 23 to gear.24 on lead-screw 25. Thus it is-obvious that the structures, grou ing of shafts, and gear-trains, the same kin of variable-speed devices, and the same organiza tion is employed for both forms.

It may be desirable in some instances, such as to give various pitches for various worm devices, to make the lathe with all of the gears recisely as described, but providing a device or converting the lathe into either style-that is, permitting the cone-shaft to drive the tumbler-shaft or the transposition of this driving relationship, which would obviously give two feed systems of different value. This result is also accomplished without in any wise disturbing the conventional structure and arrangement, which I desire to retain. To accoinplish this result, I provide on the opposing faces of gears 27 and 7 the clutch members 28 and 29, respectivel and on shaft 8 I provide the double-face c utch member 30,

cooperating selectively with the clutches 28 29 to fix either gear 27 or 7 to shaft 8, so that where one is fixed the other is essentially loose on the shaft. On the opposing faces of the gears 21 and 26 I place clutch members 31 32, which by means of the double clutch member 33 on shaft 16 may'cause the gear 26 to be fast or loose on shaft 16 or may cause the gears 17 18 to be fast or loose on shaft 16. To the frame I fulcrum a lever 34 between the shafts 8 and 16, one end of which is attached to the double clutch 30 on shaft 8 and the other end of which is attached to the double clutch 33 on shaft 16. Thus it is ob- By so doing it is ob-- vious that when the lever'33 is thrown to engage clutch members 28 30 the clutch 33 will engage clutch member 32, fixing gears 27 and l 26 to their shafts, and the drive will be from the first shaft, means for .rotating said gear- Wheel, a fixed gear-wheel on the second shaft meshing with the said loose gear-wheel on the first shaft, the prime gear element of the cone-and-tumbler gear system, between the second and third shafts, being loose on the second shaft, and a fixed gear-wheel upon the first shaft intermeshing with thesaid prime change-gear element on the second shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a variable-speed device, a first, second and third shaft, a cone-and-tumbler gear system connecting the first shaft to the second, a cone-and tumbler ear system connecting the second shaft to t e third, loose ears on the first and second shafts, and c utch mechanism whereby the driving relationship of the first two shafts may be transposed, substantially as described.

3. In a variable-speed device, a first, sec-' ond and third shaft, a variable-speed ear system between the first and second sha t, a variable-speed gear system between the second and third shaft, loose gears on the first and second shafts, and clutch mechanism whereby the driving relationship of the first two shafts may be transposed, substantially as described. 1

1. In a device of the class described, a first and a second shaft, gearing connecting said shafts, a pair of loose gears on the first shaft and an opposing pair of intermeshing gears loose on the second shaft, and means for clutching the diametrically-opposed gears to their respective shafts, whereby the driving relationship of said shafts may be transposed, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, a first and a second shaft, gearing connecting said shafts, a pair of loose gears on the first shaft and an o posing pair of intermeshing gears loose on t e second shaft, clutch members on the meeting faces of said gears, a doublefaced sliding clutch keyed to each of said shafts betv een said clutch members, a lever 80 second and third shaft, a gear-wheel loose on fulcrumed between said shafts and connect- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ed at opposite ends to said sliding clutch my hand. members,whereby the diametrically-opposed CHARLES F LAUR gears on the two shafts may be alternately fixed to their respective shafts transposing Witnesses:

the driving relationship of said shafts, sub- OLIVER B. KAISER, stantially as described. LUISE BECK. 

